


The Catalyst

by delamere



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Ending, F/F, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-17 23:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7290427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delamere/pseuds/delamere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He clicked his earwig. “Where the hell are you?”</p><p>There was loud banging on the door and his eyes shot up.</p><p>“It’s me.”</p><p>He quickly made his way to the door, unlocking it and stepping aside as Shaw barged past. He watched as Shaw stood over Root, her hand lifting her shirt and examining the bloody mess underneath. He was reminded once again why he avoided hospitals.</p><p>/ 5x10 divergent</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Catalyst

Fusco stepped into the hospital and cringed. Glancing round, he attempted to find any indication of which way the brunette had been taken. He checked his watch and, considering he had only been a few minutes behind the ambulance, had expected to have seen the woman wrestling various people to the ground.  

A woman only slightly taller than him passed by and offered a smile. “Can I help you with anything?”

He cleared his throat, “Detective Fusco. Has a brunette woman with a bullet wound been brought in here?”

“Mmm,” She manoeuvred herself to be behind the desk and typed. “2nd floor. Room 210A.”

Fusco nodded a thanks before making his way to the elevator. Once again, he cringed as he passed people.He never liked hospitals and avoided them as much as possible, especially when it was to visit someone. It was something about the white walls, the white floors and the constant noise of machines or sobs. 

Clicking his earwig, he connected his line to John. “I’m at the hospital.”

“How is she?” 

“Just about to head in now.”  

Fusco rounded a corner before stopping and retreating. “They’ve got a guy on the door. He’s armed.”

John eyed Shaw as she stared at him, brows furrowed awaiting an answer.

“Do whatever you’ve got to do.”

With a sigh, Fusco disconnected. With an effort to seem casual, he once again made his way round the corner. Slowly, he passed the guard and gave him a smile.

“Hospitals, hey?" 

The guard raised an eyebrow. “Keep on walking, little man.” 

Fusco suddenly swing his elbow into the mans noise before grabbing his head, colliding it with his knee. He quickly turned the handle of the door, kicking the crouched man in. His eyes shot around the room and he was relieved to see no one else was in the room but him, the guard and an incredibly still Root who had cracked an eye open at the sudden intruders. 

“You look like shit, Coco Puffs.” 

Root sighed and closed her eyes, her right arm swung over her face in some effort to block out the blaring hospital lights. “Nice to see you too, Lionel.” 

Fusco glanced down, noticing the guard stirring. He forcefully kicked him in the face before dragged him to a radiator, removing the handcuffs from his belt and securing the mans wrist to the bars. He removed his gun and radio, throwing them to the other end of the room. As he made his way to the door, he clicked his earwig once more. 

“I’m with her,” He said, flicking the doors lock.

“How is she?” Shaw’s voice quickly and sharply replied. 

Fusco slowly looked over Root, noticing her left arm was handcuffed to the bed and there appeared to be no attempt to tend to her wound. “Not so good.” He made his way over and tapped her. “Hey, Nutella?” 

Root slowly cracked an eye open again. 

“Can you move?”

She shook her head. “It was nice of you to visit, Lionel, but it wasn’t worth the trip.” Fusco’s furrowed eyebrows prompted her to continue. “I’ve got a 10.07% chance of living. It’s only getting lower and lower,” She sighed. “You’re fight is elsewhere,” She added before closing her eyes.

Shaw’s voice suddenly cut through the following silence. “I’m on my way. Keep her talking. I’ll be 10 minutes.”

“Aren’t you meant to be getting glasses?” 

“John’s on it.” 

“She shouldn’t bother,” Root suddenly said.  

Fusco pulled a chair from a table at the end of the room, dragging it to beside Root. “There’s not much use in arguing with her.” 

A small laugh escaped Root’s mouth and she nodded. “That’s true.” 

His eyes stayed fixed on the brunettes face, watching the beads of sweat that trickled past her arm that still lay flung over her face. Her breathing was shallow and the blood soaked bed sheets were a stark contrast against her paling skin. “You still there?” 

She nodded, “9.14%.” 

“Huh?” 

“That’s my chance of living. That’s how much I’m still here.” 

Fusco frowned. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Can you perform surgery?”

He didn’t reply. She wiped her face down with her free hand before trailing it down her shirt. She pulled it up, looking to Fusco. “How bad does it look?” 

He pulled his eyes from her face and looked. The lump in his throat grew before he swallowed it. “Not too bad.”

She gave a hallow laugh before looking away. A long silence followed before Fusco remembered what Shaw had said. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off. 

“Yes, I’m still here.”

He rolled his eyes, “I was going to ask if you want some water.”

She smiled amusedly before nodding, “If you don’t mind.”

Rising from his seat, Fusco walked over to the table and poured a glass of water. He quickly tapped the lifeless guard with his foot, content when the body didn’t move. “You’ll have to sit up.”

Root sighed. She slowly pushed herself into a more seated position and took the glass from Fusco. It was inches from her lip when the glass fell from her hand as a sharp pain shot through her side. Her face scrunched in pain, her mouth parted but there was only silence. Fusco quickly rose from his seat and moved the glass. 

“You alright?”

Her breathing caught up and she slouched back down. “Never better.” 

He clicked his earwig. “Where the hell are you?” 

There was loud banging on the door and his eyes shot up. 

“It’s me.”

He quickly made his way to the door, unlocking it and stepping aside as Shaw barged past. He watched as Shaw stood over Root, her hand lifting her shirt and examining the bloody mess underneath. He was reminded once again why he avoided hospitals. 

“Root?” 

The brunette turned her head and smiled up at Shaw. “Hey, Sameen.”

“We need to get you into surgery.” 

Root shook her head slowly, “It won’t make a difference.” 

As expected, Shaw took no notice and looked to Fusco. “Find a doctor, find a surgeon, find anyone. You got them here and you do it fast.”

He nodded and left. 

Shaw moved around the bed and locked the door after him. The anger bubbling inside her never ceased as she glanced around the room looking for anything of use. The room was bare. “What happened?” 

Root had silently been watching the smaller brunette with a small smile on her lips. “I had to protect Harry.”

“Did the Machine make you?”

She shook her head. “No, but it was necessary.” 

“How was this necessary?” Shaw seethed, making her way back over and checking the wound once again. “You could have avoided that bullet. I know that, you know that, the Machine knows that.” 

“It’s part of the plan, Sameen,” Root replied, reaching for Shaw’s hand. She slowly pulled it away from the wound and met her eyes. 

“What plan?” Shaw asked quietly, the anger swelling. 

Root smiled sadly. “There always needs to be a catalyst.” 

“You did this to, what? Manipulate everyone?” 

“I did this to help everyone.”

Shaw’s eyebrows furrowed and the fury she had attempted to contain escaped as she stared down at the pale form that lay on the bed below her but before she could open her mouth, there were several frantic knocks on the door. She tore her eyes away and slowly walked towards it, her gun ready at her hip.She slowly opened it and peered, only to be greeted by Fusco with his hand on the shoulder of a young man. 

“He’s the only one I could find.”

Shaw reached, grabbing and pulling him in, her gun still pointed. “I need you to perform surgery.”

“I- I can’t!” He stammered. 

“You can, and you will. I’ll be helping. Where’s the nearest surgery room?”

He gulped and stumbled over his words.

“Spit it out!” 

“Down the hall!” He shouted, “B-but you need an access key.” 

Fusco suddenly dug in his pocket and threw a key card at Shaw. “Swiped it when I first walked in.”

Shaw nodded and motioned her gun towards Root’s bed and the young doctor. “She’s got a bullet wound and if you don’t perform this surgery now, she’ll be dead in the next 20 minutes.”

“10,” Root weakly corrected. 

“10. So you better hurry up,” She growled.

He gulped once again before nodding, his eyes still watching her gun. He made his way over and clicked the beds brakes off before pushing her out the door, Shaw and Fusco following behind. 

Fusco nodded to Shaw as herself and doctor opened the doors to the surgery. Shaw nodded back before closing the door behind her.

 

* * *

 

Shaw emerged some hours later, taking seat on the floor beside where Fusco stood. 

“How’s it looking?”

With her eyes still staring blankly forward she shrugged. Fusco knew better than to push it and nodded. 

“You didn’t kill the kid did you?" 

Shaw scoffed, “I could have. He was blubbering the whole time.” She sighed and shook her head, “But no. He’d make a good surgeon one day.” 

“That’s if you haven’t scarred him for life.”

“No trouble out here?”

Fusco shrugged and nodded towards a door further down the hall which, now that Shaw looked, had some suspicious scuff marks leading to it. “Couple here and there.”

Shaw gave a small laugh before rising once again. “You can go home.”

He shook his head, “I’ll stick around a while longer.” 

She watched him carefully for a few seconds before nodding and walking back in. The two of them later stood either side of Root’s bed as the doctor pushed her back to the room. Shaw gave a thanks but not before threatening him. The young doctor swore to secrecy and ran from the room. 

“Think he’ll really keep quiet?”

“If he knows what’s best for him.” 

Fusco nodded, “I’ll be outside then.”

 

* * *

 Four hours later, Shaw opened the door. Having occupied a seat outside, Fusco lay with his head in his hand, his eyelids betraying him. The door shutting alerted him and he shot onto his feet. He glanced around only to find Shaw stood beside him.

“Not much of a watch dog, are you?”

He scowled and brushed himself down. “Hey, I was just resting my eyes.” He nodded towards the door, “How’s she doing?” 

Shaw swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head.

He sighed, his eyes shooting down at the floor before looking back up, studying Shaw’s face. “What do we do now?”

“I’m going to... I guess I'll take her down to the morgue. You should go help John.”

He nodded and began to walk down the corridor. He paused and turned back around. “Hey, I’m really sorry, Shaw. I know what it’s like to lose someone you care about and I know apologies don’t cut it. But I am.”

She didn’t reply but offered a small nod. She slowly turned back towards the door and pushed it open once again, greeted this time by the Root's pale, still form.

* * *

 Fusco sat at the diner and pulled the coffee mug to his mouth. He glanced around and watched the people passing, almost amusedly aware of how not a single person here knew what him and his friends had just accomplished, nor the sacrificed they’d made along the way.

“Can I get a refill over here?” He asked the waitress as he peered over his shoulder. 

“Stab wound didn’t hurt your appetite.” 

Fusco turned and raised an eyebrow. “Nice to see you too. You know, you could’ve called and said you were alive,” He added, his hand resting on Bears back.  

He earned a shrug and a smile from Shaw. “I’m alive.” 

“It’s more than we can say for glasses and John. And Nutella,” He corrected solemnly. “You hear anything?” 

Her smile fell and she shook her head slightly. “No news is no news.”  

He looked away and frowned.  

“You back at work?” 

“Yeah,” He sighed, “You should see the reports. Next time I’m sitting out the cyber apocalypse.” They shared a smile. While he may have had a job to go back to, a family to go back to, he wondered what someone like Shaw had left. “What about you? You sticking around?” 

She exhaled, “I just came to collect my dog.”  

He scoffed lightly, “Your dog?” 

“Mmhm,” She replied, “And hers.” 

Fusco furrowed his eyebrows as Shaw nodded over his shoulder. He slowly turned and was welcomed by the sight of Root as she walked over, but not before kneeling down and stroking Bear who excitedly reciprocated the affection. 

“What would I do without my service dog?” 

“What the hell are you doing alive?” 

“Nice to see you too, Lionel,” Root said, echoing their greetings at the hospital days before. She rose from her kneeled position and entered the booth beside Shaw who moved along, continuing to pick at Fusco’s food. 

“Question still stands.” 

She shrugged and lightly patted where the bullet wound was. “I guess there’s no rest for the wicked.” 

“Where’ve you been this whole time?” 

The waitress Fusco had earlier called made her way over and refilled his cup. She turned to Shaw and Root and smiled. “Can I get you two anything?”

“A coffee, please.” 

Shaw suddenly shook her head and through a mouth full of burger pointed at the waitress, “Nuh-uh. No coffee for her.”

The waitress seemed amused enough and nodded, walking away from the table. 

“Sweetie, I appreciate the sentiment but I could really do with some coffee.” 

“There’s no sentiment.” 

Root sighed and turned back to Lionel. “You’re looking well.” 

He scoffed, “What was with the whole playing dead act?” He asked, glancing at Shaw. 

Making it clear she wasn’t about to stop eating any time soon he redirected his attention back to Root who was watching the smaller brunette fondly. She tore her eyes away and shrugged. 

“Like I said, there needed to be a catalyst. I wasn’t meant to live that day. Because I did, there needed to be a change of plan and that unfortunately required me to at least seem dead. Believe me, I was no more happy being handcuffed to a bed while it all happened.” 

Fusco raised an eyebrow, “She kept you handcuffed?” 

“She could have escaped if she wanted to.” 

“The handcuffs, yes. The bolts on the doors and windows, perhaps not.” Once again Root shrugged and reached for a fry but promptly had her hand swatted away by Shaw. Root rolled her eyes and leaned back in the booth. 

Shaw swallowed and wiped her hands on her jeans before shooing Root along. 

Root slid from the booth, Shaw following after. She reached forward and took a hold of Bear’s lead, “Come on.” She glanced up at Fusco and smiled. “I’ll see you when I see you.” 

“Not if I see you first,” He smirked.  

Root smiled fondly as she watched Shaw walk away, Bear in tow, before turning back towards Fusco. “For what it’s worth, I wanted to let you in on the plan.” 

He shrugged, “No skin off my back.” He picked up his coffee and took a gulp. He glanced up and noticed Root waiting expectantly for something. He sighed and rolled his eyes. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re alive.” 

She grinned. “You too, Lionel.” Her grin fell into a warm smile, “I best catch up with them.”

“Probably halfway to Mexico by now,” Lionel added. “I’ll see you around.” 

“I hope so.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, hey. So it's been a very, very long time since I've posted/updated anything. I've been super busy but I haven't stopped following POI and still have a lot of love for it. 
> 
> I MAY be updating my other fic, Waiting, but in the mean time have a little one shot alternate to the finale (which, I was a fan of to an extent, but definitely could have and should have ended differently). I'm sure there's many fics like this out there after 5x10 but I just hope you enjoy this one.
> 
> As usual, no beta and this was written relatively late and quickly to get it off my mind. Would appreciate any feedback/any corrections!


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